Sitting Swimmer on a Chair

Perform the Sitting Swimmer on a Chair to engage your upper body and core muscles. Sit upright on the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the ground.

  1. Extend your arms forward at shoulder height, palms facing down.
  2. Simultaneously lift your right arm and left leg, keeping them straight.
  3. Lower them back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
  4. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Sitting Swimmer on a Chair

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Sitting Swimmer on a Chair using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your deltoids.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your deltoids rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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